Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1887-06-08
THE CHESTER ACCIDENT.
Terrible Results OF the Boiler Explo
sion Ono Man Killed - Number
Woundad

following further account Of the terrible
locomotive boiler explosion in that city
on Tuesday: A little after 8 O'Clock
this morning q south.bound freight
train rumbled into the Baltimore and
| Ohio Railroad depot at Twelfth street
and Providence avenue drawing q
dozen cars or 90. It stopped and began
shifting part of its load to the siding on
the northern side of Upland street,
| While doing this work and moving
along slowly there was terrible expln-
zion, and the next moment the air was
filled with iron pipes, bits Of timber
and other debris, while everything was
enveloped In hot steam.
| simultaneously the sheds adjoining
the station on the northern side col
lapsed and fell with crash, resembling 4
thunder, while portion of the build.
Ing came down with it. Shrseks Allied
the air for moment and then every
thing became quiet.
| As II by magic, crowds gathered and
willing hands began the work OF assist
ing the wounded. One man lay lear
the disnAntled locomotive With hts face
cot and covered with blood, HIS hands
bleeding and Ills clothes saturated with
water. He was carried to 6t0ver'i
drug store, near by, but he soon passed
away and WAS carried to the depot
and placed in private apartment. lie
was stranger and NO one could tell hi
name.
! The killed and injured. % far - could
be learned, were ~ follows:
| THE DEAD.
Joseph W. McOain, Gallatin street
Chester, badly scald cd and cut.
| THE INJURED.
John Murphy, telegraph operator,
Chester, badly scalded and hart about
the head; A. J. Benjamin, Chester, sta
tion agent, cut about the face and breast
Allen Benjamin, Chester, son of the
station agent, hurt about the feet; Geo
Schofield, Chester, foreman OF the
painters, burned and scalded; II. =
Blakeley, fireman, Baltim ore. scslded
on the back, not badly injured; Lam
bert Potts, carpep ter, Cecil County, Md.
McDevitt. Chester, suffering from
shock; Mrs. James strahan, Chester
cut ON head; William Paul, chester
hit On the side OF the face; Rache
Lewis, Chester, severe confusion OF hir
and general shock; Samuel B. CLARK
Chester, lacerated wound of scalp, bac
general Commissions and shock; stranger
from Maryland. about 30 years Of age,
received bad confused wounds of scalp
and general shsck.
AS soon AZ possible the fallen portion
OF the building WAS removed by Q corp
OF railr DAD men, firemen and othera, II
It was believed that one or more personi
lay beneath the timber. The slate and
other portions Of the roof were removed
carefully, but with wonderful exIedi
ton, but no one was found there.
While this was going on the polio,
under the direction of Mayor CoateI
and Chief Newsome ropad of the spac,
around the depot to keep back th'
crowd not engaged in the work of res
cue. Other willing hands assisted II
OF her wsys, while messen gers were dis
patched In all directions for ply sicisn
who responded at once and did pobl
duty in alleviAting the suffering.
Young Murphy, the telegraph opera
tor, was badly hunt, and he was report
ed dy ing few minutes after the acci
dent.
Mr.. Benjamin was not seriously In
jured. Both Messrs. Benjamin snt
Murphy were In the ticks. Office wheI
the explosion took place. and rs the 10
comotive vas standing opposite th'
sentlemen's waiting room they wer,
close to the exploding boiler. Som,
gentleman WAS in an apartment nd
joining the gentlemen's room when the
building fell and his escape is miracu
lous.
A number Of houses located on th.
south side of Twelfth street opposit,
the depot were more or less damaged
every window being broken. Mrs
| William Mnnauitf Daa atftiun hu q
front window sewing when the explo
sion occurred. She Was partly throw WI
into the next room, while myriads O
bits Of broken glass we're throw
around her, and her clothing wns satu
rated by steam. A huge piece Of boile
tube was thrown against the house, for
tunately not entering the window
while bits Of timber were blow
through the trausom and in the win
dows. She was not injured, except b,
the shock sustained.
The residence of James FArnan had ,
shutter wrenched off and the window
were shattered, though no one was hurt
Mrs.Ja ames Strahan was cut about th'
head by flying splinters. The glas
WAS broken and scattered In thoui ant
pieces at Andrew Slater's house but NJ
one injured, though Mrs. Slater wa
badly shocked. MIS-. Struthers wa
thrown down when the explosion tool
plsce, bus was not injured.
When the explosion came the engin,
WAS moving slowly. and WAS just 0ppo
site the telep raph Office, little north o
the centre OF the building. In an In
stant the walls Of the gentlemen's room
were blown in, the north walls cracked
the chande iers and tiled fireplace
shattered and the ceiling crushed to tht
floor, showing great gaping holes over
head. The heavy SHE'D that WAS sup
ported at Its lower end by this northern
wall gave way, swayed for second
then fell side ways into the street along
side The heavy iron posts broke like
reeds, and the big timbers and slate o.
tho roof were piled In great hsapl
around. The platform, too, WAS forced
from It's place.
The damage to the station alone viii
be $4,000.
Corner Fairlamb Immediately impan
eled . jury to Inquire into the death Of
McOain. The gentlemen selected are
Charles A. Weidper, foreman; JOSEPH
X. Cash, David Lewis, Samuel Gree n
wood, g. P. Denis and Robert TAYLOR
Messrs. Cash and Lewis are experts o.
to the structure Of boilers, the latter be
ing the boiler foreman at Roach's ship
yards. All day the jury were together
gathering Information OF the accident
The inquest will be held to day at I
O'Clock.